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British Bookmakers Set to Make Record Contribution for Rights to Show Horse Racing

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British bookmakers are on track to make a record contribution to horse racing next year – with the bill for media rights forecast to increase by nearly £30m.

The Betting and Gaming Council’s five biggest members for horse race betting, Entain, Flutter, bet365, 888/William Hill and Betfred, expect to see a record cost increase to broadcast races.

In 2022, BGC members paid £270.1m for the rights to live stream races for customers and show them in bookmakers.

But that cost is forecast to rise to £285.3m this year, an increase of 5.6%, with members estimating a further increase to £315.2m in 2024, a further bump of 10.5%.

The combined increase for media rights costs is now expected to rise by 16.7% between 2022 and 2024.

The figures are based on data supplied by the Betting and Gaming Council’s five biggest members for horse race betting, then adjusted to include smaller operators, who must also pay for media rights.

Michael Dugher, CEO of Betting and Gaming Council, said: “BGC members are already making a record contribution to horse racing and these figures show that is only going to increase.

“This comes despite a reduction in betting turnover on racing in the last five years and a worrying decline in participation in horse race betting overall.

“Horse racing remains a hugely important, world-leading sport, enjoyed by millions of fans and like the betting industry it continues to support large numbers of jobs.

“I know racing is trying to modernise and reach out to new fans, while also trying to bounce back from the Covid pandemic and deal with some difficult economic headwinds, plus deal with the hit on its funding caused by the Government. The betting industry is dealing with many of the same pressures on our revenues and costs.

“The BGC and our members remain fully committed to working together with the leadership of the sport, including the BHA and others, to ensure a better future for racing. But the fact that we are making a record and growing contribution to the sport cannot be ignored.”

The forecast costs come after the BGC announced their members directly contributed £384m to British horse racing last year in levy, media rights and sponsorship deals.

These figures showed an increase on previous estimates for the regulated sector’s contribution, which had placed it at around £350m a year.

In addition, bookmakers spent £125m on marketing to promote racing and betting through advertisements and partnerships, which helps secure vital terrestrial coverage of the sport and raise revenue for print newspaper titles.

As well as the increased costs for media rights, levy payments are projected to be £99m in 2022/2023, according to the Horserace Betting Levy Board.

This record investment also enabled horse racing to use some of these revenues to deliver record prize money of £179.3m in 2022.

Horse racing is the second biggest sport in the UK, second only to football, with more than five million people attending around 1400 fixtures annually across 59 racecourses.

However, its popularity is in decline. In 2007, 17% of the population participated in horse race betting in the previous year, but that fell to 10% in 2018.

Meanwhile football overtook horse racing betting around the same time between 2017/2018.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has committed to reviewing the Horseracing Levy by next year.

The Horseracing Levy, which is administered by the Horserace Betting Levy Board, goes towards improving the sport, breeding and boosting veterinary care.

Betting operators are working closely with the British Horseracing Authority and racing stakeholders on much needed reforms to the fixture list and race programme which should increase commercial returns from the levy and media rights.

The regulated betting industry fully supports this once-in-a-generation opportunity to modernise horse racing so it can realise its full commercial potential.

The BGC is also working closely with the government on the proposed reforms from the White Paper to ensure those who enjoy betting can continue to do so without unnecessary intrusion, while introducing improved safeguards for the minority who struggle.

Betting shops currently support around 42,000 jobs, contribute £1bn a year in tax to the Treasury and another £60m in business rates to local councils.

The wider regulated betting and gaming industry contributes £7.1bn to the economy, generates £4.2bn in tax and supports 110,000 jobs.

In April DCMS unveiled the Government’s new White Paper on gambling reform, including a number of key measures the BGC had campaigned for.

Those included a new mandatory Ombudsman for the regulated sector, enhanced spending checks online and a new mandatory levy to fund research, education and treatment to tackle gambling related harm and problem gambling.

Each month in Great Britain around 22.5m adults have a bet and the most recent Health Survey for England estimated that 0.4% of the adult population are problem gamblers.

Meanwhile the unsafe, unregulated gambling black market online is growing in the UK, with the numbers betting on these sites doubling in recent years, and the amount staked in the billions.

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Nagoshi Studio Unveils GANG OF DRAGON, a New Action-Adventure Game from Director Toshihiro Nagoshi

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Tokyo, Japan. December 12th, 2025-Led by Toshihiro Nagoshi, Nagoshi Studio unveiled the first teaser trailer for its upcoming title GANG OF DRAGON at The Game Awards 2025, held on Thursday, December 11 in Los Angeles.
Teaser Trailer: youtu.be/KX2pzle9dkE?si=r591Kz3ZbPfdCzMH
Steam page: store.steampowered.com/app/4146000/

GANG OF DRAGON

 is a new action-adventure game set in Kabukicho, Shinjuku, Tokyo’s iconic nightlife district. Protagonist Shin Ji-seong is a high-ranking member of a Korean crime syndicate, and is portrayed by celebrated Korean actor Ma Dong-seok (Don Lee).

Players will engage in visceral hand-to-hand combat showcasing Shin’s overwhelming physical strength, while also wielding swords, firearms, and unleashing a wide range of combat techniques. Additionally, players can race through the vibrant streets of Shinjuku, experiencing exhilarating high-speed car chases. Lastly, the game’s scenario and overall direction are led by Toshihiro Nagoshi, who is widely recognized for his emotionally rich, character-driven storytelling.

This new story will engage players in an exciting way and showcase increadible graphics for an action packed adventure. Viewers of The Game Awards were the first to get a look at the new footage!

“I’m both relieved and deeply focused as we finally reach the day to unveil GANG OF DRAGON. This project depicts, with unwavering honesty, the lives of outlaws who inhabit the real streets of Kabukicho. Through gameplay, my team and I are committed to delivering a powerful new human drama born from this world. What is shown in this teaser represents only a small part of what G.O.D. truly has in store, and we look forward to sharing much more with you in the future.” Said Toshihiro Nagoshi.

About Toshihiro Nagoshi

Toshihiro Nagoshi is a veteran game creator and President of Nagoshi Studio. Since joining SEGA in 1989, he has worked on many titles including Daytona USA. In 2005, he launched the Yakuza (Like a Dragon) series, serving as General Director for the mainline entries up through Yakuza: Like a Dragon. He founded Nagoshi Studio in 2021 and now leads the development of GANG OF DRAGON.

The post Nagoshi Studio Unveils GANG OF DRAGON, a New Action-Adventure Game from Director Toshihiro Nagoshi appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry Newsroom.

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Blask & Gamblers Connect Enter A New Media Partnership

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Gamblers Connect, the award-winning iGaming affiliate and media platform, is proud to announce a new media partnership with Blask, a leading AI-powered analytics ecosystem dedicated to the iGaming industry.

This collaboration marks a pivotal step in the company’s mission to provide the most accurate, transparent, and data-backed content. Under the terms of this agreement, Blask will provide Gamblers Connect with complete access to its cutting-edge market intelligence platform.

This suite includes the Blask Index and real-time data tracking across more than 100 jurisdictions, allowing for granular analysis of market dynamics, brand performance, and player behaviour. By integrating these professional-grade tools into the editorial process, Gamblers Connect will elevate the depth and precision of its industry reporting.

The cornerstone of this partnership is a commitment to sharing knowledge with the wider iGaming community. Gamblers Connect will produce four exclusive case studies throughout 2026. Released once per quarter, these comprehensive reports will utilise Blask’s advanced analytics to uncover emerging trends, benchmark operator performance, and provide actionable insights for industry stakeholders.

This alliance represents a shared vision for a more transparent iGaming sector. By combining Blask’s technological prowess with Gamblers Connect’s editorial expertise, the aim is to set a new standard for data-driven journalism.

Max Tesla, Blask CEO, commented: “Partnering with Gamblers Connect is a natural step for Blask. We are building an ecosystem of transparent analytics that empowers the industry, and GC is one of the few media partners that truly values data and knows how to work with it. I’m confident this collaboration will strengthen both sides and deliver more accurate, trustworthy, and insight-driven content to the iGaming community.”

Gjorgje Ristikj, Founder & CEO at Gamblers Connect, added: “Partnering with Blask allows us to combine their strong analytical framework with our media expertise. It’s a collaboration grounded in trust and mutual respect, with the shared goal of delivering meaningful and measurable results to the industry.”

The post Blask & Gamblers Connect Enter A New Media Partnership appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry Newsroom.

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Alyona Suvorova

Law enforcement officers from Kazakhstan eliminated the organized financial criminal group organized by Vadim Gordievsky, Larisa Ivchenko, and Alyona Suvorova from Ukraine

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The law enforcement agencies of Kazakhstan have effectively eliminated the organized criminal group created by Vadim Gordievsky from Ukraine and his accomplices, Larisa Ivchenko and Alyona Suvorova. Even though the law enforcement agencies managed to block accounts and payments of the Marginplus Company, key employees and management are still hiding.

According to the media, just a few days ago, the Financial Monitoring Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan revealed a large-scale shady scheme of cross-border transfers that involved numerous payment organizations and providers. The funds were disguised as legal transactions and withdrawn to the accounts of online casinos. The total volume of illegal transactions exceeded more than $1 billion.

According to law enforcement authorities in the Republic of Kazakhstan, the key organizer of the miscoding scheme, which involved bookmakers, online casinos, payment organizations, and bank employees, is Vadim Ivanovich Gordievsky from Ukraine, who was born in 1974. He was the leader of the organized criminal group and used the local Marginplus Company for these purposes (official website: marginplus.kz). In addition to companies from Kazakhstan, Gordievsky also worked with illegal Russian online casinos while helping them to facilitate illegal payments.

According to new information from law enforcement agencies in the Republic of Kazakhstan, banks and bookmakers, including the local PIN-UP bookmaker, have already terminated all cooperation with Gordievsky’s Marginplus company.

According to informburo.kz, the local licensed Pin-Up.Kz bookmaker (legal entity: Bonami LLP) declares that it has nothing to do with transactions carried out by individual payment organizations. Judicial and criminal proceedings have already been initiated against these structures, and the company itself is fully cooperating with law enforcement agencies to establish all the circumstances and identify fraudulent, shady schemes.

According to unofficial information, the Pin-Up management provided the law enforcement agencies of the Republic of Kazakhstan with all the data related to the Marginplus company belonging to Vadim Gordievsky.

As of today, all financial activities of Marginplus have been paralyzed. In addition, large amounts of money have been blocked in its bank accounts. This money should have been paid to partners, contractors, and providers, including the local Parimatch betting company. Ordinary employees of Vadim Gordievsky’s company are already looking for new work while its management, including Larisa Vladimirovna Ivchenko (listed as the head of Gordievsky’s FC Alta Capital from Ukraine), is still hiding. Alyona (Elena) Suvorova has already closed and renamed her social media profiles a few days ago. In addition, she does not respond to messages and is trying to evade responsibility.

We would like to remind the audience that Alyona Suvorova positions herself “as an entrepreneur, investor, and a crypto trader with 5+ years of experience.” According to Suvorova herself, she has been developing payment technologies in the field of FinTech for 10 years. In 2021, she opened her own business for international crypto transfers. In addition, she is the founder of the Lemoncoin Crypto Academy.

According to investigators, Gordievsky’s partner, Mikhail Kovalev (Mykhaylo Kovalov), who is a citizen of both Ukraine and Israel, as well as an owner of a number of companies in the EU, in particular, in Poland, and who has a residence permit in Spain, was closely working with Gordievsky. By using the STABLEX SOLUTION Sp. z o. o fictitious company (official website: solvexs.pl) in Poland, he was engaged in illegal payments and withdrawal of cryptocurrencies into fiat money.

At the same time, as the source notes, the mentioned management and the people involved in the money laundering of Marginplus Company will be added to the wanted list of Interpol in the nearest future. The National Security Committee of the Republic of Kazakhstan has also announced that it’s going to closely monitor this case. According to local laws, participants of this shady scheme face up to nine years in prison. Information on Vadim Gordievsky’s companies and connections in other countries is also being checked.

After the initiation of criminal cases for financial crimes, fraud, and the announcement of his wanted list by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Vadim Gordievsky left Ukraine on forged documents. Before diving into the world of financial fraud, he was involved in land and property issues in the Kyiv region. As of today, numerous criminal cases have been initiated.

The post Law enforcement officers from Kazakhstan eliminated the organized financial criminal group organized by Vadim Gordievsky, Larisa Ivchenko, and Alyona Suvorova from Ukraine appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry Newsroom.

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